Tales of Leonardo
by misterfooch
Summary: The Shredder believes we no longer exist.  He's wrong, I still exist.  My name is Leonardo.  Let me tell you a story.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Not gonna enter one.

_It wasn't always like this. No, one time it was completely different. There used to be four of us, but that was a long time ago. In the end we lost, Donatello was the first...the river washed away his body and the remains were never found. Michelangelo...death would've been a better fate for him, he hasn't spoken since that day, in fact he hasn't done much of anything. It's like he's trapped in a state between death and living, as if his body can't decide which it should be. Raphael, Casey, April...God, April had no reason to be there. Everyone I'd ever cared for were gone, and me all I lost were my eyes..._

_**My name is Leonardo. Let me tell you a story.**_

Tales of the Leonardo

Prologue

It took years for the reality to set in. Everyone was gone. The Shredder had won.

From the ashes of our defeat the Shredder was able to amass new power. His tyranny over the oppressed put money in the pocket of his investors. From high atop his tower, Oroku Saki, guided and provided for the criminal element in the city. A seemingly endless supply of income kept any sign of his involvement hidden.

The Foot were leased out to anyone willing to pay the bill, and a high bill it was.

If money was power, Saki was one of the most powerful men in the world. If muscle was power, he had that in spades. If influence was power, Oroku Saki was unstoppable. He had government officials as high up as the President of the United States in his pocket. In essence he controlled the country, if if not in physical presence.

Without his obsession for my brothers and myself he was undeterred in his bid for power. After his victory, as far as he was concerned we no longer existed...

"What do you want?" A woman found herself cornered by several thugs, "I've got nothing to give...please, just let me go...please?!"

No amount of pleading would stop them. They grinned and cotinued to approach.

"She asked nicely, you didn't listen. Now it's too late for you," a dark silouhette seemed to arise from the shadows. The only trace of light in the street gleamed off a withdrawn blade.

The attackers couldn't say a word...in moments they were all out.

The woman tried to see her savior, "Who...who are you?"

No answer.

She decided to not pry any further, and fled.

Not far away, two katana are sheathed as a shelled figure disappeared into the sewers.

The Shredder believes we no longer pose a threat. He's wrong, I still exist, and soon he'll know.

TBC


	2. Part 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, nor will they ever be.

Tales of Leonardo: Chapter 1

"Mikey, you missed it. For a minute it felt like old times. I wish you could've been there."

Michelangelo sat motionless. A figure that was hardly even recognizable. Once filled with life, healthy, and strong. Now he was nothing more than a withered figure, for the most part dead. His only link to life was the food tube that kept his body nourished. I should probably let him die, but I can't. He's the only family I have left, and some part of me expects him to jump up one day, start laughing, and say, "Ha, I gotcha. I can't believe you fell for it. Man you should see your face right now. I'm starving though, I'd kill for a pizza."

I know it'll never happen, but part of me hopes to hear his voice again, even if I can never see him.

"Leonardo, why do you torture yourself? You know he cannot hear you."

"Part of me thinks he can Karai."

Oroku Karai, once an enemy of my family, now an ally after being rejected by her own clan. She used to be quite a sight, long hair, firm body, strong and able. Even she has wasted away. Still as an able a fighter as ever, but malnourished, her hair thin and limp. I can hear it in her voice, she's not what she once was.

Why had Karai decided to join me here? I never knew, nor did I ever ask. Even though I merely wanted to remain secluded, alone, just me and my brain-dead brother, she wouldn't let me. It was with her help, however forced, that I was able to learn to exist as a blind man. She wouldn't let me give up.

The first lesson I learned about blindness, was that in lieu of sight, the other senses were enhanced. You can feel the world's existence more closely, hear the heartbeats of those in trouble, tell whether or not someone is lying just from the slight change in the beating of the heart. Karai forced me to never quit, to retrain my body and my mind, and to seek revenge.

"It's been eight years, nothing has changed in your brother's state."

She's right, but I refuse to believe it. I can't. If he was gone then I would truly be the last of my kind. Which is something I don't think I could fathom, it would kill me.

"Come. Let us sleep. It's been a long night."

Karai. Without her forcing me to sleep, without her forcing me to go on, I don't know what would happen.

The night has been a long one, and tomorrow will be again. She grasps my shoulder, leading me to my room. I could find it myself, in all the years the lair hasn't changed at all, except the dust has gotten thicker, and it remains quiet all the time. The touch of someone else is comforting to a degree though.

She lays with me until I fall asleep, never allowing herself to fall asleep before me. Stays with me throughout the night. Calms me when I wake up thinking that I hear Michelangelo and Raphael arguing, or hear Donatello's jubilation at completing a project.

The bed isn't warming. In fact it's cold, but regardless it's momentarily peaceful, though the sleep it brings is anything but.

"What time is it?" Not that it matters, time is maeaningless to me, but I ask from habit.

"2 a.m., let's sleep. Tomorrow night we'll find out more."

When you're blind, it's hard to tell the difference between being awake and asleep. All you ever see is darkness. The only difference is, in sleep you can dream.

* * *

"So I take it you're the new blood they sent us? Well I'm Chief Sterns, but you probably already knew that." Chief Sterns was a gruff man, overweight, grizzled, and one of many officials in Saki's pocket.

"Yessir, Officer Denise Martinez. I'm looking forward to working in your precinct." Denise Martinez, a young woman whose mother was Asian and her father Hispanic, her Asian features prominent, but with the hair and skin tone of her Hispanic heritage.. Fresh out of the police academy, she entered into the world with plans to change things, to help improve the quality of life for those around, poor girl didn't know what was about to happen to her.

"Don't be, this is a hell hole and it ain't gonna be a pleasure for you or for me. Anyway, you'll meet your partner tomorrow night. Good night officer Martinez."

With the final words Chief Sterns rushed the rookie cop from his office.

"He's no Andy Griffith." Officer Martinez made her way out into the street, hailed a taxi and was on her way back to her apartment. The coming night she would get a taste of life as an officer in the New York Police Department. A taste that would leave it's bitter flavor in her mouth for a long time to come.

* * *

That night I slept peacefully. No memories of brotherly rivalry, no inoppurtune flashbacks. Just sleep, quiet and undisturbed.

An odd noise was the only thing that had awoken me. Though Karai seemed to notice nothing.

"Leo...cough...cough...Leo where am I?" Michelangelo's voice echoed softly.

"Mikey!?! Mikey is that you!?!" I knew his voice, even after all these years his voice still remained youthful...even in his sickly state.

"Where is everyone...why's it so cold bro?"

I didn't even bother waking Karai, I followed the voice, my heart racing. He was alive and talking I couldn't contain my joy. It was like everything that I had been through washed away in that instant. A rapturous joy filled my every being, as I lifted my brother into my arms, tears gushed down my cheeks.

"Calm down Leo...I feel like I've been outta commission for like 10 years man. God I'd kill for a pizza." Michelangelo had no idea how long he'd been out, but the first thing that came to his mind was pizza. Pizza? No surprise.

"Karai! Karai! He's awake! He wants pizza! Order him some pizza!" I never thought I'd hear those words from his mouth again, but I had.

Then something happened. My brother's touch seemed to fade, his familiar scent left my nostrils. His heartbeat slowed down...almost stopping.

"Leonardo! Leonardo!" Karai's voice sounded in my ears.

"No Mikey! Stay with me! Stay here!" I began shaking my brother's shoulders violently, as if that would force him to remain.

Then I felt the frail hands of Karai on my shoulder. I felt her wrap her arms around me.

"Shhh...it's okay Leonardo. It was only a dream. Shhh...I'm here with you." Karai's spoke softly.

"It was a dream? No, Mikey was alive, I felt him...then he...he died."

"It ws only a bad dream. Feel." Karai took one of my hands in hers and rubbed across the matress of the bed we shared. "See. You are in bed. It was only a dream. Now try and sleep again."

Harder done than said. I hate sleep, all it ever does is play with my head.

Eventually I drifted back into a semblance of sleep. My mind tried to resist, but my body need it. Karai remained ever-vigilant over me until I slept, before closing her own eyes.

* * *

"So, you's a cop?" The cab driver was a middle-aged man, a thick accent, and a demeanor about him that said he'd been drivin in this city more than he wanted.

"Yeah."

"How long you's been in da city?" The driver was obviously tired and just trying to make conversation to keep awake.

"A week or so. It's definately been different. I'm originally form Upstate, though I've always wanted to be part of New York." There was an idealistic belief in Officer Martinez' voice. Obviously all she knew about New York City was what she had seen on tv and in the movies.

"Why? Dis place is shit. Ain't nobody wanna be here cept the rich. Da rest of us, barely make it."

"Then why don't you leave?"

"It's kinda like dem black holes from the space movies. Place sucks ya in and ya never get out."

"Oh..."

"Anyways, lady here's ya stop. That'll be ten dollars, enjoy your stay, and good luck wid dem police."

"Thanks." Paying the fare the lady cop from upstate New York made her to the front of her apartment complex. A parcel was in front of the door to her apartment. A card rested on the top of the box.

_**Welcome to New York, Officer Martinez. Enjoy your stay.**_

_**Courtesy of Oroku Saki.**_

Lifting the package she opened the door and entered her small apartment. She'd open the box in the morning.

TBC

End Note: First Chapter complete, I'm going to try and post one a week, but I make no promises. It all depends on my hectic schedule with school and work. Thanks for reading.


End file.
